Civil War re-enactor to spotlight role of blacks

Published: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 6:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 11:50 p.m.

DELAND — Storyteller and Civil War re-enactor Mary Fears will present a program about the contributions of blacks during the Civil War at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in DeLand on Saturday.

Fears, 82, who lives in Daytona Beach, has been putting on presentations about blacks in the Civil War for nearly 12 years. The event will take place at the church, 514 Beresford Ave., at 6 p.m Saturday and is free to the public, though donations will be accepted. It is presented by the African-American Museum of the Arts in DeLand.

"What I do is I talk about how black people served in the Civil War," said Fears. "I will be telling biographical stories of several people."

Those figures include Mary Peake, who educated freed slaves during the war; Robert Smalls, a former slave who commandeered a Confederate ship during the war for the Union Navy; and Elizabeth Keckley, who served as Mary Todd Lincoln's seamstress.

As a re-enactor, some of the characters are portrayed by Fears herself and their stories are presented as first-person narratives. In the past, she's participated in Civil War re-enactments at the Olustee Battlefield, west of Jacksonville.

"All of this is in celebration of Black History Month," said Mary Allen, executive director of the African-American Museum of the Arts. "Mary Fears, she is a storyteller, reenactor and she produced a film called 'Filling the Gap: Forgotten Chapter of American History.' "

Much of Fears' presentation is based on scenes and stories depicted in the film.

During the presentation, retired Bethune-Cookman University professor Cleo Higgins will deliver Sojourner Truth's 1851 "Ain't I a Woman?" speech.

Fears will tell stories ranging from the tales of freed slaves traversing the Underground Railroad to the "Contraband" soldiers, who were escaped slaves who fought alongside Union troops during the war.

Before she was a re-enactor, Fears worked as a media specialist for Volusia County Schools. She has lived in Volusia County for more than 40 years.

<p>DELAND &mdash; Storyteller and Civil War re-enactor Mary Fears will present a program about the contributions of blacks during the Civil War at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in DeLand on Saturday. </p><p>Fears, 82, who lives in Daytona Beach, has been putting on presentations about blacks in the Civil War for nearly 12 years. The event will take place at the church, 514 Beresford Ave., at 6 p.m Saturday and is free to the public, though donations will be accepted. It is presented by the African-American Museum of the Arts in DeLand. </p><p>"What I do is I talk about how black people served in the Civil War," said Fears. "I will be telling biographical stories of several people." </p><p>Those figures include Mary Peake, who educated freed slaves during the war; Robert Smalls, a former slave who commandeered a Confederate ship during the war for the Union Navy; and Elizabeth Keckley, who served as Mary Todd Lincoln's seamstress. </p><p>As a re-enactor, some of the characters are portrayed by Fears herself and their stories are presented as first-person narratives. In the past, she's participated in Civil War re-enactments at the Olustee Battlefield, west of Jacksonville. </p><p>"All of this is in celebration of Black History Month," said Mary Allen, executive director of the African-American Museum of the Arts. "Mary Fears, she is a storyteller, reenactor and she produced a film called 'Filling the Gap: Forgotten Chapter of American History.' " </p><p>Much of Fears' presentation is based on scenes and stories depicted in the film. </p><p>During the presentation, retired Bethune-Cookman University professor Cleo Higgins will deliver Sojourner Truth's 1851 "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. </p><p>Fears will tell stories ranging from the tales of freed slaves traversing the Underground Railroad to the "Contraband" soldiers, who were escaped slaves who fought alongside Union troops during the war. </p><p>Before she was a re-enactor, Fears worked as a media specialist for Volusia County Schools. She has lived in Volusia County for more than 40 years.</p>